Iceland - Taken from TTA8 - AW 2014

Photography  Paul Kominek & Sara Katrine Thiesen

Iceland was one of the countries that were hit most dramatically by the world economic crisis that began in 2008, but has since made a remarkable comeback. The bustling capital Reykjavik is drawing more and more travelers, most of whom are curious to spend more then just a few hours making the obligatory dip in the blue lagoon during intercontinental stopovers. The arrival of this new wave of tourists, (that is, those who aren’t scared off by the sensationalist media coverage of potential volcano eruptions), has also given way to interesting hotel openings. These include the delightfully cosmopolitan Kvosin in Reykjavik, and Ion, a first nature-focused boutique hotel on Iceland, less then an hour outside the capital. The economic crisis itself has been one of the driving forces of this recent boom in tourism; Iceland has become a more affordable destination and airlines such as WOW air now offer regular connections from most major European cities at the price of a London to Berlin ticket. And though Reykjavik now offers some of the most exciting nightlife anywhere on the planet — not to mention world-class cuisine — it is the captivating rawness of Iceland’s nature which still draws most people here. Not only does this relatively young piece of land help us to observe and understand our own evolution, the mesmerizing basalt shapes and psychedelic hues will turn even the most hardcore, internet-addicted urban traveler into a nature lover, for a short while at least. PK